The Dichotomy of Being a Marketer with Minimalist Values

Musings about a decor crab and reconciling being a marketer in a consumerist world.

I should probably start with a disclaimer. I am not a minimalist. My home is filled with picture frames, art, plants, candles, cushions and a fabulous brass crab aptly named ‘Tab’.

All things collected from years of gifts from loving friends, souvenirs from places I’ve explored and random ‘omg I need that’ moments.

I like to think of my home as a curated, external collection of me. I’m an… intentionalist (not a word, but it absolutely should be).

In recent years I have revised my shopping habits, striving to live a life defined by intentionality and conscious consumption. But, as a marketer, I'm part of an industry that often promotes the exact opposite: constant consumption and the acquisition of more.

For a while, this dichotomy seemed irreconcilable. Over time, I've found ways to align these two seemingly contradictory aspects of my life.

To me, minimalism isn't about owning as little as possible (see brass crab mention above); it's about making thoughtful decisions about what to include in my life. Similarly, marketing isn't (and shouldn’t be) about convincing people to buy things they don't need; it's about connecting people with products and services that can genuinely improve their lives.

One of the ways I reconcile my career with my minimalist principles is by working with brands that align with my values. This is something I struggled with whilst working in agencies as there was no choice over the clients I worked with. I’m so lucky that through Milkshake I get to choose to work with founders and brands that prioritise creativity, sustainability, ethical production, and high-quality products that are designed to last.

When working with these brands, I focus on marketing strategies that emphasise the real value of a product, rather than creating artificial demand. This means highlighting the long-lasting quality of a product, its versatility, or how it can help the customer live a more fulfilling life.

In essence, being both a minimalist and a marketer has required a careful balance and a lot of introspection. It’s hard to reconcile in a very loud world filled with people hawking things we absolutely do not need.

But… dialectics! Whilst its something I still think about, I believe that it's possible to navigate the world of marketing in a way that aligns with minimalist principles by focusing on conscious consumption, promoting meaningful products, and communicating their genuine value.